How To Deal With Poor Workmanship And Bad Service
If you’ve had work done and the trader has caused a problem, you should be able to get it fixed or get some of your money back.
Whatever the problem is, you’ll need to talk to the trader and come to an agreement.
What to do if you need to complain:
Communication about the work –
Under the consumer rights act. A customer who has a contract for goods and services can expect these to be supplied with reasonable care and skill.
What is the consumer rights act?
The consumer rights act protects you in almost all purchases you make. It sets out your rights when you’re buying products, services, and digital content.
Check out more about the consumer rights act here – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Rights_Act_2015
Firstly, whatever the situation is, you should always try and communicate with the trader or company. You should let them know what you’re entitled to. When you communicate with them explain the problem, how they can resolve it, and give them a realistic timescale.
If you talk to the trader or installer on the phone or face-to-face you should always get the conversation in writing. If you have a dispute, try and use email instead of text because it is an official record.
You need to make it clear to them in the beginning that the work should be finished on the date you agreed. And if they fail to meet the deadline, you should ask someone else to do it. Then you can claim back the costs from them.
You can request that the traders fix their work otherwise you can look for estimates from other traders or installers.
Start a formal complaint procedure about the work –
Secondly, if resolving things peacefully hasn’t worked you can ask for the trader or company’s complaint procedure. You’ll have to provide evidence that you have tried to resolve the issue first. if they have a complaints procedure you will need to prove that you have used it.
Try and get the money back –
If you made a payment using PayPal or a finance agreement, you might be able to complain and get your money back through the financial ombudsman service.
If none of this works then it may be time to seek legal action. You will need to provide evidence in court such as photographs and emails of the poor workmanship. An independent report on the work will be needed. You and the builder need to agree on who provides the report. Because you need someone with the expertise to assess the issue and advise on what’s necessary to put them right.
